One of the books that is often recommended for those who want to undertake is this one, "How to Win Friends and Influence People". Although he is already a few years old, the truth is that he is one of those who teaches you the basics of business and how to achieve maximum benefits.
But what is it about? Who is its author? What can't the book teach? Below we reveal everything to you so that you can make the decision to read it, or pass on it. Shall we start?
Who wrote How to Win Friends and Influence People
Source_QuimiNet
If you see the book How to Win Friends and Influence People you will know that the author is Dale Carnegie. But in reality this does not exist. His real name is Dale Breckenridge (what he did was use his maternal surname, only he changed the diction). He was born in 1888 and died in 1955.
In his time he was a businessman and writer of books, all of them related to communication and human relationships.
The author grew up on a farm and worked as a young man in the countryside, combining it with his studies. He graduated as a school teacher but throughout the years of study he had great influence and knowledge about human treatment.
His first job was selling correspondence courses for ranchers. Afterwards, he sold bacon, soap and butter. AND Although you may think that he was bad at it, in reality it was quite the opposite, It was so successful that it became a national sales leader.
And that was when his career as a businessman, and also as a writer, began. In fact, the book we are dealing with on this occasion was not the first one he wrote. That “honor” goes to How to Speak Well in Public: and Influence Businessmen. Then this book did arrive, published in 1936, and four years later in Spanish.
They followed:
- How to stop worrying and start living.
- Lincoln, the unknown.
- The quick and easy way to speak effectively.
- The Cañada.
- Driving through people.
- Managing people.
- Important promoter.
Personally, It is his little daughter, Donna Dale, who is responsible for keeping the spirit alive and the teachings that his father left, and also the one that follows in his footsteps.
What is the book about?
Source: Sales 2.0
This book is often thought of as self-help to make friends, to understand relationships between people, etc. But it actually goes further. It tells us about interpersonal relationships, yes, about everything we can do to improve. But also how to change one's attitude to positively influence others (getting what we want).
Throughout the revisions: one in 1936 and another in 1981, although we assume that there has been a third, some sections or chapters have been eliminated, such as Writing Effective Sales Letters or Improving Your Family Life.
That is why many choose to get both editions in order to have a more complete book.
Here is the synopsis:
«»How to Win Friends», an absolute classic of human relationships, is a compendium of principles and truths that have not even been surpassed today. When he began this project, Dale Carnegie decided to apply his great knowledge of people, his observation skills and his professional experience, and the result was a treatise on everyday psychology that has not lost a bit of relevance and that, in good measure, is the origin of modern marketing. According to Carnegie, economic success depends 15% on professional knowledge and 85% on the ability to express ideas, assume leadership and arouse enthusiasm in others.
Through practical advice and examples taken from both well-known figures and ordinary people, Carnegie shows us the fundamental techniques to be empathetic and like others, understand their points of view and know how to convince our own ideas without causing resentment. How to Win Friends, with many millions of copies sold worldwide, has struck a chord with us generation after generation. Now, with this review, more updated than ever, and in which a foreword by his daughter, Donna Dale Carnegie, has been added, we will be able to continue advancing in our human relationships, achieve success in our personal and professional lives, and understand ourselves. a little more".
how many pages does it have
The most recent edition, from Elipse, released in 2023, offers us a book of 384 pages. From what we have been able to review, it seems that there is also a digital edition, although the price differs little from the paper edition.
If they release new editions of the books, it is most likely that, due to the layout, or the choice of the size of the book, it may have more or fewer pages.
If it's that old, is it worth it?
Source: WiduLife
It is true that the first edition of this book is about 90 years or more (to give you an idea, it was first published in 1936). However, on March 1, 2023, a “revised edition for next-generation leaders” was released, so we can guess that everything that was outdated has been retouched.
That doesn't mean it's already updated. Actually, many concepts and forms of personal and professional relationships survive over time, in such a way that it doesn't matter if 90, 100 or 500 years pass, we continue doing the same thing. Therefore, we can say that yes, it is a good book, but always taking into account society, current events and the way business is done to adapt the knowledge from the book to real life.
How to Win Friends and Influence People is not a simple self-help book, although many describe it as such. In reality, we are talking about a book that can help you understand people and, at the same time, change your attitude to influence them. Have you read it? Would you dare to take a look? Leave us your impressions in the comments.